My pregnancy 28 weeks
My pregnancy 28 weeks
We went on a hospital tour this week in my 28th week of pregnancy. I have to be honest, from everything my friends have told me, I was underwhelmed. My friends raved about how it felt like a spa, the amazing food, the champagne dinner with your spouse, the massages, acupuncture, you name it. It was a spa where you give birth to a baby. So I had set my expectations quite high.
The Tour
My husband and I arrived at a villa for the tour. The tour was given in German. They also have tours in English, but I picked this one and we got on just fine. The tour was in a beautiful villa and we sat through an hour power point presentation by two lovely midwives about the birthing process at the hospital. Pretty standard power point. They discussed water birth, natural birth, morphine, epidural, and c-section as different birth deliveries. They said the standard stay after birth is 5-6 days! I am interested in the morphine instead of an epidural and would like to try it if need be. There was an apero after the tour and we got two goodie bags filled with gifts for the baby. I think we still need to sign up for the hospital after this tour.
Semi Private or Half Private
We have Semi Private or Half Private insurance for giving birth here in Switzerland. I have no idea what it all means and am no expert in insurance. But, we can choose a public hospital or a semi-private hospital. So this one we toured, and where my doctor delivers babies, is a semi-private hospital. They also do private insurance at this hospital as well. I have gathered that semi-private means as soon as I have given birth, I will be moved to a shared room with another new mom. And we share a room for 5-6 days.
The Room Size
Here is where I kind of lost my mind. I know. I’m completely shallow and I think my husband was a little bit shocked by my reaction. But in Seattle, where I had my two girls, I had a big private room. I left the hospital both times within 24 hours. The room they showed us on our tour was a room with two beds and two baby cots, and they were all touching. I could literally reach out and touch the other bed! I know, shallow, and I’m sure it works just perfectly. But 5-6 days spending 24 hours a day in that close of proximity to another mom and her baby? Give me a moment to wrap my head around it. Sharing my new baby moment with a stranger and her visitors. And sharing a bathroom with all the things we know that happen to our bodies after having a baby…
Visitors
The other thing that threw me was that they discourage visitors and ask that it be very short visits since you are sharing a room. For 5-6 days? I loved my private room in Seattle where my husband was there the whole time and we were in a little quiet baby bubble.
Having the Girls Watch The Birth
So far the girls want to watch the baby being born. The baby is due during school holidays and if everything goes well, I’m fine with them watching the birth. I have told them that if they feel like doing something else instead when the time comes, that’s fine, but to have the option to see their little sibling being born is great. I forgot to mention that to our doctor at our appointment this week, so I’ll run it by him next month.
My Doctor’s Appointment
We went for my 28 week ultrasound this week. Our baby is a thumb sucker. Neither of the girls were thumb suckers so I wonder if there is anything different with a thumb sucker. And I wonder if the baby will want a dummy/binky/pacifier when they arrive. The girls loved their pacifiers and were never interested in sucking their thumb. Everything looks good with the baby and we have another appointment in 4 weeks. I wonder if the appointments get more frequent in the third trimester. But so far it’s been only every 4-5 weeks.
Flying in The Third Trimester
We are flying this week with my extended family. It’s a short 2 hour flight. But, I will wear my compression tights and the doctor gave me a note giving permission to fly. So hopefully all will go well. I flew in the third trimester with my first baby to Sydney from Seattle and remember wearing my support hose then as well. And here we are 8 years later flying in the third trimester. This flight is very short so I’m hoping for the best. Plus, a little holiday will do us good.
So we are off on holiday this week to meet up with some more of my family for my Dad’s 75th birthday. And when we get back I will be 29 weeks pregnant and in the third trimester!
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